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Church and Benedict XVI confronting heart of secular world (forces becoming more emboldened in US)
cna ^ | June 2, 2009

Posted on 06/02/2009 1:48:27 PM PDT by NYer

Archbishop Francisco Gil Helin

Madrid, Spain, Jun 1, 2009 / 08:39 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Francisco Gil Hellin of Burgos, Spain said last week that it has become increasingly evident that both the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI are confronting the “center of the secular world, made up of significant elements of the European Union, the United Nations, and more recently, the United States.”

“This center has shown itself incapable of accepting anything that is not part of its own values. And thus, despite scientific proof, the Pope has been irrationally criticized in the name of reason, and the faith and morals of the Catholic Church have been treated irrationally,” the archbishop said in his weekly reflection.

Archbishop Gil Hellin warned his audience that, “The world runs the risk of embracing a new dictatorship: the dictatorship of relativism.”

He went on to analyze the recent attacks against the Pope for his statements about condom use. “If the Pope’s comments were off the mark there would be some justification. But what the Pope said is shared by the international scientific community, Catholic or not. What we are facing is a secularism that is increasingly more radical, which gives no value to Christian ethics or is willing to include Christianity when it comes to finding solutions to the very serious problems that are affecting our society.”

Archbishop Gil Hellin alerted people to the way that “radical secularism has been incubating in Europe during the last few decades. But it has become especially acute since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” “The United States had maintained itself more or less outside this reality. This is explains why the Pope saw in it a more hopeful and less hostile secularism.”

“In fact, although not quite as strongly as in Europe, secular forces have become more emboldened in the United States, seeking to marginalize the church and label her teachings on marriage and life as outdated, if not fanatical,” the archbishop said.

He also argued that “hostility towards the Church has also grown in the media.” As an example, the archbishop stated that “key U.N. officials from some European nations and the international media with connections in the United States and Great Britain rapidly assumed that Benedict XVI was wrong about condoms.”


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: catholic; media; relativism; secularism

1 posted on 06/02/2009 1:48:27 PM PDT by NYer
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To: Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; nickcarraway; Romulus; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 06/02/2009 1:49:01 PM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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To: NYer

Maybe Obama should be pope. Then everyone would love Catholics.


3 posted on 06/02/2009 1:52:58 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
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To: NYer

“This center has shown itself incapable of accepting anything that is not part of its own values. And thus, despite scientific proof, the Pope has been irrationally criticized in the name of reason, and the faith and morals of the Catholic Church have been treated irrationally,”

So much packed into one article - excellent piece. If we do anything to fight back, like the tea parties or the kids in France who were standing up for the Pope, we’re “far right”.


4 posted on 06/02/2009 1:57:53 PM PDT by bronxville
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To: NYer

Well, the fastest growing creed in the US per every survey is indeed the non-religious.


5 posted on 06/02/2009 2:00:11 PM PDT by Clemenza (Remember our Korean War Veterans)
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To: NYer

6 posted on 06/02/2009 2:25:08 PM PDT by bdeaner (The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Cor. 10:16))
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To: the invisib1e hand
Maybe Obama should be pope.

I think that's what he wants, at least indirectly. The guy he appointed Vatican ambassador is not very bright and is a nobody in the theological world, but he's politically active and he is tied in with the "Liberation Theology" types at the Vatican who are BXVI's fiercest enemies.

Obama is putting him there to attempt to undermind BXVI, and also, since BXVI is older, in hopes that another Conclave will have to be held while he (Bambi) is still in office and he'll have a chance to influence it.

7 posted on 06/02/2009 2:37:22 PM PDT by livius
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To: NYer
Archbishop Francisco Gil Hellin of Burgos, Spain said last week that it has become increasingly evident that both the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI are confronting the “center of the secular world, made up of significant elements of the European Union, the United Nations, and more recently, the United States.”

The UN is weird. It promotes abortion and contraception worldwide while posing as the friend of the "indigenous peoples" of the Third World. Plus it has a sizable influence from both the "new age" and from islam.

Again, why don't the factions on the other side never fight among themselves, even when theoretically they should be deadly enemies to one another?

This whole thing reminds me of the peace and harmony that always prevailed among the "heels" in professional wrestling. Each one was "the greatest of all time," but none ever got mad at another for making the same claim. Instead they all feuded with babyfaces.

8 posted on 06/02/2009 2:40:29 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Vesamu 'et-shemi `al-Benei Yisra'el, va'Ani avarekhem.)
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To: bdeaner
Fabulous!
9 posted on 06/02/2009 3:06:57 PM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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To: livius

” I think that’s what he wants, at least indirectly. The guy he appointed Vatican ambassador is not very bright and is a nobody in the theological world, but he’s politically active and he is tied in with the “Liberation Theology” types at the Vatican who are BXVI’s fiercest enemies.

Obama is putting him there to attempt to undermind BXVI, and also, since BXVI is older, in hopes that another Conclave will have to be held while he (Bambi) is still in office and he’ll have a chance to influence it.”

Worth repeating.


10 posted on 06/02/2009 10:30:12 PM PDT by chase19
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To: NYer

Bump for later reading.


11 posted on 06/02/2009 11:50:30 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: All

Timely bump to read


12 posted on 06/03/2009 5:15:37 AM PDT by rbmillerjr ("We Are All Socialists Now"........not me, not now, not ever)
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To: SuziQ

I wish the Church would raise an army. As an independent city-state, they have the right. If only I were pope. First mission: take back Constantinolple.


13 posted on 06/03/2009 5:56:51 AM PDT by wolfman23601
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To: wolfman23601

Benedict XVI knows that it’s more important to change peoples’ hearts and minds, through the love of God. The revolution will flow from that.


14 posted on 06/03/2009 9:23:20 AM PDT by SuziQ
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